Independent study & practice
Twentieth Century
36 questions · War, reconstruction and social change. Study the notes, then practise without the clock.
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Study notes: make the connections
War, reconstruction and social change
Link wartime events to the post-war reforms: Attlee’s government, Beveridge’s proposals and Bevan’s NHS. Later governments changed the economy and the distribution of political power.
These are historical questions. A former prime minister’s name in a question does not identify today’s office holder.
| Remember the link | Key fact |
|---|---|
| leading Britain as Prime Minister from May 1940 | Winston Churchill Churchill became wartime Prime Minister in May 1940. |
| publishing influential economics in the inter-war period | John Maynard Keynes Keynes developed important theories of economics during the inter-war years. |
| discovering penicillin in 1928 | Alexander Fleming Fleming discovered penicillin; Florey and Chain developed it into a usable medicine. |
| writing the 1942 welfare-state report | William Beveridge Beveridge’s report proposed tackling five major social problems. |
| leading the Labour government elected in 1945 | Clement Attlee Attlee’s government introduced major welfare and nationalisation reforms. |
| establishing the NHS as Health Minister | Aneurin Bevan Bevan led the creation of the NHS in 1948. |
| introducing the Education Act 1944 | R A Butler Butler’s reform established free secondary education in England and Wales. |
| writing Under Milk Wood | Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer born in Swansea. |
| making the wind of change speech about decolonisation | Harold Macmillan Macmillan’s speech recognised the move towards independence in Africa. |
| becoming the UK’s first woman Prime Minister | Margaret Thatcher Thatcher led the Conservative government from 1979 to 1990. |
| succeeding Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister | John Major Major followed Thatcher and supported the Northern Ireland peace process. |
| leading Labour to victory in 1997 | Tony Blair Blair’s government introduced new devolved institutions. |
| succeeding Tony Blair as Prime Minister | Gordon Brown Brown became Prime Minister in 2007. |
| leading the coalition formed in 2010 | David Cameron Cameron headed a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition. |
| writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Roald Dahl Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents and wrote for children and adults. |
| Olympic pentathlon gold in 1972 | Mary Peters Peters won pentathlon gold and promoted sport in Northern Ireland. |
Handbook reference: Chapter 3: A long and illustrious history — The 20th century; Chapter 3: A long and illustrious history — Britain since 1945. These are original revision notes, not a reproduction of the handbook.
Three quick study checks
Which person is linked to leading Britain as Prime Minister from May 1940?
Winston Churchill
Churchill became wartime Prime Minister in May 1940.
Which role or achievement is linked to Winston Churchill?
leading Britain as Prime Minister from May 1940
Churchill became wartime Prime Minister in May 1940.
Which person is linked to publishing influential economics in the inter-war period?
John Maynard Keynes
Keynes developed important theories of economics during the inter-war years.